• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Which instrument is easier to learn: Piano or Guitar?

fustercluck

fustercluck

Diamond Member
Late night babbling ahead...I reccommend skipping to cliffs

I've been wanting to play an instrument for a long time. I got a Yamaha P60 (electric piano) a couple years ago, and since then I've just played it here and there, learning just by playing. Have always considered taking lessons, but they are mucho expensivo. Though i definitely feel guilty for not practicing nearly as much as I should be, to warrant having a $700 instrument right in my room...I should of practiced 100 times more by now. Sheet music is extremely hard to learn. It's like trying to learn a new language...and a tough language at that, like Chinese or something. It's friggin nuts. I don't think I'll ever be able to play with two hands simultaneously. I mean, each hand playing a different melody. My brain can't multitask like that. Maybe I wasn't destined to be a good piano player.

I haven't played piano much in the last couple of months, because I've had this urge to try and learn Guitar instead. I feel like I've lost all interest in playing piano, but I know I'd love to be able to play it. I guess I've been playing too much Guitar Hero 😛. My Bro has an acoustic and electric guitar he never uses. So I have the opportunity to learn guitar as well. I'd hate to have this nice piano sitting in my room and not attempt to practice at all though. I certainly don't want to give up on piano, I know i definitely want to learn to play piano really well sometime in my life. Maybe I should try the guitar for now though? I'm sure it's just as complicated as the Piano, and I'm not very patient when it comes to learning. Grr, I wish I could just download the knowledge needed to master these instruments. Maybe I'll just stick to playing Guitar Hero =/

I couldn't teach myself guitar, I'd have to get lessons for that as well. I know someone who gives lessons though.

cliffs:
I fail at piano after trying to learn for 2 years
I want to learn guitar
I don't want to put the effort into learning either instrument
would absolutely love to be great at either instrument
repeat: I don't want to put the effort into learning either instrument

Someone give me some motivation. Sleepy time for now.
 
Don't bother if you dont want to put in any effort. That simple. Nobody can be "great" at anything without effort. If you can't put in the effort, then don't bother, because you will be the sux as you found out with Piano.
 
If you don't want to put any effort into, you won't learn any instrument.

It's not just something you can fumble your way into being decent at.
 
Haha, "I'd love to be great at either instrument but I don't want to put the effort in learning them," is this some sort of joke?
 
Easier to learn the basics of reading music on piano. I played piano for 10 years before picking up a guitar. I still sux at guitar.
 
I've played piano since I was about 5 (26 now), and played guitar for a few years in school. A lot of people can play very basic piano, and this is very misleading as they then feel that it's a simple instrument. The guitar, like other stringed instruments (e.g. violin, viola, cello, etc.), you can't produce anything that sounds reasonable for quite some time. This is for the simple fact that you are responsible for intonation on such instruments, whereas obviously on the piano this is not the case.

So, in the beginning, I believe piano shows the most progress. There quickly comes a point where a large amount of training and practice is necessary to be proficient on the piano.

I don't think that made any sense...
 
I really don't want to put to much effort into this post, but I want it to be a great help. Pick piano.

Edit -

Piano: Easy to learn, difficult to master.

Guitar: Harder to learn, easier to master.

I play both (not proficiently).
 
I'll echo what is being said. Playing basic piano is easier than playing basic guitar. But mastering piano is more difficult than mastering guitar.

Doing either one very well is nearly impossible (unless naturally gifted) without some effort. 😉
 
'Piano first. this will lay the groundwork for reading music, you will be able to pick up any instrument after that and it will be easier to learn.
 
I'm experienced with the piano, but not so much with the guitar. Learning the guitar is so easy for me now though.
 
My parents forced me to play the piano for 5 years, then I quit. I just didn't enjoy it very much. I wanted to learn the guitar for the longest time, but I didn't want to commit to lessons or anything. Well, in November of '05, I found a crappy guitar in my basement, and picked it up. My bro has been playing for about 8 years or so, so he just showed me 3 basic chords, and a song. Pretty much, I started looking for songs that used those 3 chords, then I would look for a new song that used those chords, plus a new chord, that way I wouldn't overwhelm myself trying to learn them all @ once. Since then, I've gotten pretty decent, and never taken a lesson. I've just learned all my stuff from watching my bro, going to concerts, and watching "Live in Concert" DVDs. FTR, I find the guitar much easier to play than the piano, and you can use it to "vent" a lot easier than the piano.
 
Originally posted by: Descartes
I've played piano since I was about 5 (26 now), and played guitar for a few years in school. A lot of people can play very basic piano, and this is very misleading as they then feel that it's a simple instrument. The guitar, like other stringed instruments (e.g. violin, viola, cello, etc.), you can't produce anything that sounds reasonable for quite some time. This is for the simple fact that you are responsible for intonation on such instruments, whereas obviously on the piano this is not the case.

So, in the beginning, I believe piano shows the most progress. There quickly comes a point where a large amount of training and practice is necessary to be proficient on the piano.

I don't think that made any sense...
Click to expand...

Actually that made a lot of sense, and I agree as well.
 
Piano is thoroughly easier to pick up and understand. It's a much more straightforward chromatic instrument, and technique+theory are far easier to grasp than on the guitar.
 
The piano is not difficult if you take lessons from a good instructor. Sheet music is like a language I suppose, not too difficult if you just start off simple with C Major. Practice is of utmost importance.
 
Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Piano is thoroughly easier to pick up and understand. It's a much more straightforward chromatic instrument, and technique+theory are far easier to grasp than on the guitar.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I've taken many trumpet lessons and many music classes, and I still can't understand the theory in the guitar. Maybe it's not to be? 🙁
 
Piano is 10x easier than a stringed instrument. That is because the keyboard is laid out in a logical repeating pattern. The guitar is tuned to an open E, so the notes are laid out in a way that does not make sense at first. Also, your fingers have to be conditioned to hold strings down- which is painful.

Either way, if you don't put time into either, you will never learn. If you don't put about an hour a day into either, you will never be "good".
 
Wow, 100% unanimous. I guess I got my answer, thanks 🙂

Yes I was semi-joking about not wanting to put any effort into it. I can't make myself do it if I'm not interested, but, I can get interested again if I learn a few new tricks. So I guess I'll hold off on Guitar until I become a decent piano player, which could be 10 or 20 years down the road,

I keep telling myself to read the pages at this site: Fundamentals of Piano Practice - But I hate reading (especially now without a monitor =X) and I can't bring myself to get into it at all, so many words, so little attention span.
 
Piano is probably easier.

Guitar will get you more chicks unless you are really good at piano.

Since you don't want to put in the effort, I recommend you learn the recorder, like the little flutes that you learn in 5th grade. You should master that in no time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top